Inspiring women and girls in science: Bradford academic balancing teaching and cutting edge research
Lecturer and researcher in medicinal chemistry Dr Maria Azmanova is featured in the latest Womanthology blogpost to mark International Women and Girls in Science Day (February 11, 2024).
Dr Maria Azmanova is a lecturer in medicinal chemistry at the University of Bradford. She studied for a BSc in Chemistry with Pharmaceutical and Forensic Sciences, followed by her Master of Chemistry in the same subject, and then her PhD in Medicinal Chemistry all at the University of Bradford, before taking up her academic position there.
Maria’s role is split between teaching and research. Medicinal chemistry is a multidisciplinary field that combines knowledge from chemistry, biology, and pharmacology to design, develop and optimise chemical compounds for use as therapeutic drugs.
She says: "In my field of medicinal chemistry diversity of thought enhances creativity and encourages contributions from multiple perspectives, so everybody is involved. That can only lead to better decision-making and a broader scientific impact, which is what we need in science."